Fire on the Mountain

I saw that big cloud of smoke way off to the north yesterday morning as I drove back from a morning fishing session on San Diego Bay. My first thought was that Palomar Mt was going up in flames but I saw on the news that it was up your way Nick. I hope some of your special areas survive the flames.

Same here, Nick. San Jacinto is my favorite local area, and I get up there every year…but maybe not this year. I've been watching all the reports since the fire started, hoping that it wouldn't burn all the way up, but knowing that conditions are perfect for the whole place to go up in smoke.

Now it looks like there's a couple of tongues moving down to the flatter areas south of Palm Springs as well. I expect that will be easier to suppress.

I hope there's some of the Tahquitz drainage and Long Valley left when this is over.

I normally don't hike around Long Valley in the summer — too many people. Right now it is closed, but if they open it up by this weekend I may go up there, as many people who had planned a trip will probably cancel.

I remember much of that are up near there was already burned in '09 or '10. At what point is SoCal just completely burned? I seem to remember Postholer calculating that 40% of the first 700 miles have been burned in the last 10-15 years. That is sobering. I guess it will give the '16 thruhikers plenty of poodledog bush opportunities.

Photo from a friend who is a USFS Hotshot with Los Padres NF working on this fire, sent today around 2:00 p.m.

Be safe out there…

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In 1980 I worked (professionally) building 9 miles of the original tread of the PCT by Snow Creek near Wildwood.

Is that part of what burned?

There are beautiful, BIG trees up around 7,000 feet and higher and I hope they aren't gone.

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